Ducks Raising Prices Again, Another Hike Likely Next Year

The Mighty Ducks are too new to have many traditions, but one apparently has taken hold: annual ticket-price increases.

Duck tickets will go up an average of 7.9% next season--on the heels of a 10.6% increase last year. And there are plans for another increase after next season.

After 49 consecutive sellouts at The Pond of Anaheim, including all 24 home games during the lockout-shortened NHL season, Duck fans may be falling victim to their own enthusiasm--and to aggressive Walt Disney Co. pricing.

This, after a management lockout cut 36 games from the season and the Ducks went 16-27-5, the third-worst record in the NHL.

The only tickets that won’t cost more are the 194 seats on the glass that already sell for $75 and $125. The average ticket will cost $34.51--which is still less than the Kings’ $37 average. There still will be $14 “cheap seats,” but only 500 are available. Overall, increases will range from $1 to $15. About 500 lower-level corner seats will jump from $40 to $55.

Andy Roundtree, the team’s vice president for finance and administration, said the steep increase on some tickets is part of a plan to make the 5,000 seats in the lower level all one price, and the team’s tickets will still be at about the league average. Statistics on that are unreliable because of currency differences between U.S. and Canadian teams.